


A Year and a Day

by NEStar



Category: AUSTEN Jane - Works, Emma - Jane Austen
Genre: Gen, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 06:39:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14665410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NEStar/pseuds/NEStar
Summary: A young Miss Bates once harbored hopes.





	A Year and a Day

**Author's Note:**

> This was written a long time ago, here are the original AN's:
> 
> Written for the Firthness Summer Writing Challenge.  
> Challenge Topic: Unrequited Love.  
> Rules: One side love between two non-canon characters,  
> Book: Emma

"Can it have truly been a year?" The mirror held no answers for me so I turned to the window. The flowers in the garden are just starting to blossom, so indeed, it had been a year. A year since my dear Father had passed away, a year since my Mother told me to put on that horrid black dress, a year since I had set eyes on Henry Woodhouse.  
  
"Your Mother is wondering how much longer you'll be, miss."  
  
"Oh, just a moment Sarah. All I need is my wrap."  
  
As I settled the silk over my shoulders a memory came to mind. I was walking home from Highbury when a strong gust of wind spring up and took the wrap from off my arms and set it sailing. I was just turning to go after it when I heard the sound of horse hooves. Henry had been coming down the road and saw the whole thing. It took him the work of a moment to set his horse in action and retrieve my lost wrap. And when he returned it to me, "It is hard to think anything would so willingly remove its self from your arm."  
  
Later that week, at Maria Hilton's engagement ball, Henry asked for the first dance. When I told him that Frank Taylor had already asked, but I was not obliged for any others he asked for the supper dance and the last dance!  
  
"Well come along. You've been chattering away about this party for the last two weeks, you can at least be ready on time."  
  
"Yes Ma'am. I'm ready."  
  
"And really, I don't understand why it had to be this party. It's been just a year since you dear Father's passing. Indeed, it was a year yesterday. I don't see why you would be so eager to throw off the memory of that loss, as if he had meant nothing at all."  
  
Mother glared at me from across the carriage. Or rather, she glared at the green dress I was wearing. She thought I should keep to the black, but I knew that Henry thought this shade of green looked "quite fetching" on me.  
  
And hadn't I worn black, head to toe, for a year? Hadn't I been to visit Father's grave twice a week? Hadn't I been locked away from my friends, not even allowed an exchange of "how'd you do's" after church, because Mother said that's how we were to morn Father? Hadn't I put off my love for Henry...  
  
For a year I had been a dutiful, obedient daughter. Well no more! Tonight I would go to this party, I would wear a lovely, bright dress, I would dance with Henry Woodhouse!  
I would find a way to let him know that I still loved him with all my heart. That the year I had been forced to spend away from him only served to strengthen the fact that I wanted nothing more then to be his wife.  
  
Entering the ballroom was like walking into a dream. The sights and the sounds competed to overwhelm my mind with pleasure. Maria, Anne, Catherine, and Eleanor enveloped me in a cloud of warm, friendly talk. They all asking "How was I?" and "Had I heard about such-and-such?" when the moment I had spent weeks dreaming about arrived, Henry was walking to me.  
  
I broke away from the other girls as Henry made a smart bow. As I curtsied I said the words I had rehearsed in my room for days, "Henry, it is truly wonderful to see you after such a length of time."  
  
"Hetty, this last year has been much to quiet without your bright laughter."  
  
I tried to keep the tremor out of my voice as I said, "You are much to kind." for a young woman walked over to us and had placed her arm through Henry's.  
  
She smiled at him and asked "Another friend Henry?" She then turned that wide, toothy grin at me, well... not so much wide and toothy as honest and friendly. "Henry has introduced me to so many people I fear I shall call someone by the wrong name and embarrass myself horribly."  
  
Henry chuckled at this! Then he said to her, "Shall I tax you memory yet again?"   
  
She ducked her head ever _so_ bashfully, as if She had just forgotten to kneel at church.  
  
Henry had been looking at nothing but her ever since _She_ had intruded on _our_ reunion. Now as he tore his eyes away from her I could see the most disgusting love-sick look on his face. "Hatty, this is my bride to be, Isabella." There was a blackness that began to blur the edges of my vision as She smiled at me. "Isabella. this is Miss Henrietta Bates."


End file.
